Manicure Monday: Red, White & Blue

For the 4th of July, I thought about trying to recreate the flag. When it comes to the American flag, however, I really think that Betsy Ross did it best. Creating tiny, intricate stars and perfectly balanced stripes is no easy task, especially if you’re downsizing it to your fingernail. There are so many options when it comes to red, white, and blue, but I decided to go with an easier – but still patriotic and pretty! – manicure. Want to see how I got the look? Read on!

Once your nails are totally dry, cut out skinny strips of tape (I used masking tape – couldn’t find my painter’s tape anywhere!) and carefully place them on your ring finger. Make sure to press the tape down all the way so the polish doesn’t bleed through. Once the tape is set, cover your entire finger with your blue polish (China Glaze’s Frostbite). Let it dry for a little before removing the tape so the polish doesn’t smudge.

Finish your manicure by taking a skinny brush – a regular watercolor paint brush does the trick – and creating the heart detail on your ring finger using the red polish. You can also create a heart or star on your thumb using the gold to tie the look all together! I did this, but you can’t really see because of the way I take my “manicure claw” photos.

About Kathleen Tower

Kathleen is the style editor for The Collabor-eight. She's a 23-year-old true Jersey girl; big hair, bigger heart. Her passion for beauty and makeup started with an internship at Seventeen Magazine and has grown ever since. After graduating from Villanova, she turned her love for Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter into a full-time job as a social media coordinator! When she's not at work, she's browsing everywhere from the Internet to the streets for her own "Manicure Monday" inspiration. She believes that true style comes from a mix of high and low, designer and drugstore, expensive splurges and nearly steals!